A Renew Relationship
We’ve been through a lot for the past years, yet we are still together. She was happy and so was I, and that was the most important thing for us. All had been forgotten. For me, let by gone be by gone, but for her I knew she sometimes remembered her passed and she cried, most of the time in the middle of the night, I guessed she had a bad dream, she woke me up and told me how sorry she was. I always did the same thing when she was like this, gave her a hug, and whispered to her, “I don’t know what you are talking about, dear.”
In 1995, I was in ITM. She was so proud and happy for me. At first she was afraid that I had a crushed with other girls who, she thought prettier and smarter than she was. She made sure that would not happened by buying me a pager. (In 1995, mobile phone was considered a luxury). Every morning she would page me and said “I love and missed you.” She also sometime paged me and asked me to call her back if I was free.
I didn’t think that it was a nuisance. It was the sweetest thing she ever did. While most of my colleagues still looking for a girlfriend, I was content to myself that I have someone who loved me for what I really am. I still remembered how she gave a capital to start a small business while I was studying. It was selling maggi and cigarettes. The business was doing well and the coins were used to call her. Every time I ran out, she would give me more to buy and sale.
In 1998, I was out and tried to find a job. Siti did found me one on the same office as hers as an account clerk. She was the receptionist. Everyone knew that we were together and no one ever mind. We went to work and back together, and we spent a lot of time together. Life was good.
Our parents already knew each other; even my parents didn’t mind we were a couple. Siti would woo my mother, as she knew that my mother was a bit skeptical of our relationship. After her parents accepted me, now it was her turned to do what I did. She really made an effort to proof me her sincere heart. She told me that she never stopped loving me and was always thought of me.
My mother was not easy persuaded. She (my mother) said to me Siti was too tall and too beautiful for me. She was scared that Siti will let me down. I just smiled and said to my mother; “she’s the one.” My mother disliked her at first because the first time she came to the house; she was not wearing a ‘tudung’ and a bit sexy, wearing a summer sleeveless dress. She learned her lesson when I told her, and she was really trying to get my mother liked her. For me, she would carry my mother up to the peek of a mountain to made my mother accepted her.
After a while my loving mother knew that his son was in love and loyal. Even though her feeling of unacceptable is sill there, but her motherly love to her children was to make her children choose their own path on life (with a lot of advices and naggings). She also felt that Siti’s loved for me was genuine, no will be daughter in law was as daring as her, remember, Siti and I was not even engaged yet.
My late wife path was so bumpy that it is a wonder her heart was still pure. Once, she called herself E.J. I wondered why because her name doesn’t even have these 2 letters. At first I was shocked, but at the end of her life I understand why. She was young and full of anger, and at the same time pointed an accused finger to her father. E.J. stands for Evil Johar. It was rude and cruel, she had her reason. Trees don’t shake without something or someone shaking it.
A little by little she shed her angriness, she became a sensitive person, looking to pleased some one else beside her, especially her brothers and sister. She was always thinking of others before herself, and it was my job to think of her needs. It was not much. She wanted me to be there for her and listened.
Not long, she started wearing a ‘tudung’. I didn’t persuade her to do so. She wore it on her own. I wanted to tell myself I had something to do with it by provoking her. I always bought her tudungs, and told her to keep it for future used, and I always told her that she look prettier and more radiant when she wore a tudung.
It was a great decision. My father was impressed and began to like her, thus our engagement, and that my dear readers will be in the next chapter.
...to be continued...
...to be continued...
